I am content. You are mis-informed. Chaucer's 2d book of Fame: For, as flame is but lighted smoke; I myself, and ourselves, agree unto the first person: you, thou, it, thyself, yourselves, the second: all other nouns and pronouns (that are of any person) to the third. Again, I, we, thou, he, she, they, who, do ever govern; unless it be in the verb am, that requireth the like case after it as is before it, me, us, thee, her, them, him, whom, are governed of the verb. The rest, which are absolute, may either govern, or be governed. A verb impersonal in Latin is here expressed by an English impersonal, with this article it going before; as oportet, it behoveth; decet, it becometh. General exceptions: The person governing is oft understood by that went before: True religion glorifieth them that honour it; and is a target unto them that are a buckler unto it. Chaucer: Womens counsels brought us first to woe, And made Adam from Paradise to go. But this is more notable, and also more common in the future; wherein for the most part we never express any person, not so much as at the first: Fear God, honour the king. Likewise the verb is understood by some other going before: Nort. in Arsan. When the danger is most great, natural strength most feeble, and divine aid most needful. Certain pronouns, governed of the verb, do here abound. Sir Thomas More: And this I say although they were not abused, as Chaucer, 3d book of Fame: Upon this house. Idem in Thisbe: She rist her up with a full dreary heart: Special exceptions. Nouns signifying a multitude, though they be of the singular number, require a verb plural. Lidgate, lib. 2: And wise men rehearsen in sentence Where folk be drunken, there is no resistance. This exception is in other nouns also very common; especially when the verb is joined to an adverb or conjunction: It is preposterous to execute a man, before he have been condemned. Gower, lib. I: Although a man be wise himselve, Chaucer: Therefore I read you this counsel take, In this exception of number, the verb sometime agreeth not with the governing noun of the plural number, as it should, but with the noun governed: as Riches is a thing oft-times more hurtful than profitable to the owners. After which manner the Latins also speak: Omnia pontus erat. The other special exception is not in use." • Which notwithstanding the Hebrews use very strangely: Kullain tazubu uboüna, Job. xvii. 10. All they return ye and come now. CHAP. VI. OF THE SYNTAX OF A VERB WITH A Verb. HEN two verbs meet together, whereof one is governed by the other, the latter is put in the infinite, and that with this sign to, coming between; as, Good men ought to join together in good things. But will, do, may, can, shall, dare, (when it is in transitive) must and let, when it signifies a sufferance, receive not the sign. Gower: To God no man may be fellow. This sign set before an infinite, not governed of a verb, changeth it into the nature of a noun. Nort. in Arsan. To win is the benefit of fortune: but to keep is the power of wisdom. General exceptions. The verb governing is understood: Nort. in Arsan. For if the head, which is the life and stay of the body, betray the members, must not the members also needs betray one another; and so the whole body and head go altogether to utter wreck and destruction? The other general exception is wanting. The special exception. Two verbs, have and am, require always a participle past without any sign: as So in the Greek and Latin, but in Hebrew this exception is often, Esai. vi. 9; which Hebraism the New Testament is wont to retain by turning the Hebrew infinite either into a verbal, akon ȧKOVσETE, Matth. xiii. 14; or participle, idŵv eïdov, Act. vii. 34. I am pleased; thou art hated. Save when they import a necessity or conveniency of doing any thing: in which case they are very eloquently joined to the infinite, the sign coming between: By the example of Herod, all princes are to take heed how they give ear to flatterers. Lidgate, lib. 1: Truth and falseness in what they have done, And here those times, which in etymology we remembered to be wanting, are set forth by the syntax of verbs joined together. The syntax of imperfect times in this manner. The presents by the infinite, and the verb, may, or can; as for amem, amarem; I may love, I might love. And again; I can love, I could love. The futures are declared by the infinite, and the verb shall, or will; as amabo, I shall or will love. Amavero addeth thereunto have, taking the nature of two divers times; that is, of the future and the time past. I shall have loved: or I will have loved. The perfect times are expressed by the verb have; as amavi, amaveram. I have loved, I had loved. Amaverim, and amavissem add might unto the former verb; as I might have loved. The infinite past, is also made by adding have; as amavisse, to have loved. Verbs passive are made of the participle past, and am the verb; amor and amabar, by the only putting to of the verb; as 8 A phrase proper unto our tongue, save that the Hebrews seem to have the former. Job xx. 23. When he is to fill his belly. amor, I am loved; amabar, I was loved. Amer, and amarer have it governed of the verb may or can; as Amer, I may be loved; or I can be loved. Amarer, I might be loved, or I could be loved. CHAP. VII. OF THE SYNTAX OF ADVERBS. HIS therefore is the syntax of words, having number; there remaineth that of words without number, which standeth in adverbs or conjunctions. Adverbs are taken one for the other; that is to say, adverbs of likeness, for adverbs of time; As he spake those words, he gave up the ghost. Gower, lib. 1: Anone, as he was meek and tame, He found towards his God the same. The like is to be seen in adverbs of time and place, used in each others stead, as among the Latins and the Grecians. Nort. in Arsan. Let us not be ashamed to follow the counsel and example of our enemies, where it may do us good. Adverbs stand instead of relatives: Lidgate, lib. 1: And little worth is fairness in certain |